Thus study will examine the effects of family psychosocial characteristics on the use of health care services for children. The role of sociodemographic factors and the health care system have been explored extensively in recent years. This study seeks to complement that research by analyzing longitudinally and cross-sectionally the roles of maternal locus of control and family stress in predicting child illness and use of medical care services. This study provides a unique opportunity to examine both locus of control and health care utilization over a five year period in a low-income sample of 120 mothers and their children. These mothers were first interviewed when pregnant with those children, the at four months and one year postpartum as part of a study of maternal-infant attachment and health outcomes. Data on preventive and acute health care utilization, family psychosocial and sociodemographic characteristics, and accessibility of services are being collected in the five-year follow-up interview, with utilization data verified by medical records. The data from the full series of interviews will be examined longitudinally; data from the current interviews, cross-sectionally, using descriptive analysis, stratified and contigency table analysis and mathematical modeling. Major hypotheses to be tested are that: 1) maternal locus of control during pregnancy and the child's first year will predict later use of pediatric health care services; 2) use of pediatric health care is correlated with family stress; and 3) the relationship between family stress and the number of pediatric health care visits will be moderated by maternal locus of control. If locus of control does moderate the effect of family stress on health care utilization, a parent's belief in their control over events can be taken into account in planning outreach and intervention programs.